Connection for batteries.



No. 703,674. Patented July l, |902.;

E. A. sPEnHY.

CONNECTION F-OR BATTERIES.

(Appxicaeion'a'l'ed No'v. e. 1899.)

(no Nadel.)

' M12/2755555: faz/'anim'.

UNITED STATES;

I PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER A. sPnRRY, 'or oLEvELAND, OHIO, AssIeNoR'RY MnsNE AssIeN, MnNTs,TO NATIONAL BATTERY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF New JERSEY.

CONNECTION FOR BATTERIES..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 703,674, dated July 1,1902.

Original application filed September 13, 1899, Serial No. 730,320.Divided and this application filed November 6, 1899. Serial l No.735,971. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, ELMER A. SPERRY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Connections for Batteries, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This inventionrelates to storage, batteries wherein metallic vesselshaving thin walls are used as part of the cells or as containingvessels; and it consists also in means for collecting and distributingthe currents generated and also inthe means for coupling the elements ofthe batteries.

It has for its object to cheapen the manu,- facture and to reduce theweight of storage batteries and to provide means whereby storagebatteries may be rendered more portable, especiallyunder conditions ofsevere service, this application being a division oflapplication forLetters Patent No. 7 30,320, filed September13,`1899,'forelectricbatteries and mounting same.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l illustrates an end elevation,partly in section, of a pair of cells, showing one form of coupling thesame. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a planview of a pair of cells that are coupled together. Fig. 4 is a detailviewof a portion of one of the cell-cases.

The case or receptacle A consists of thin sheets of lead or a suitablealloy thereof, which are cut, folded, and put together to form arectangular cup having a tight bottom A'. The edges around the bottomand also two or more of the corners of the case are preferablystrengthened by solid masses of metal formed by lead burning orsoldering when the sheets are placed together. The case itself may beused as a part of the negative element of the cell, and active materialJ 'fmay be applied thereto in anywell-known manner and become a part ofthe same. The positive element H of the cell may be insulated from thecase in any suitable manner. Y The walls of the case are provided with aextension C4, that is slightly thicker than the walls of the case, thatis formed integral therewith or which is secured thereto by lead-burningor otherwise, so as to insure a close and permanent joint between theextension and the walls of the case. This extension is preferablytubular and projects asuitable distance above the electrodes to preventthe spilling, splashing, or running over of the electrolyte. The top'ofthe extension is preferably bent inward and downward to form aninwardly-projecting lip @,having a clear space between the lip and thewall, which assists in retaining the electrolyte and also providesadditional means for collecting and conducting the electricity. Theprojecting extension is provided on one side of the case with anupwardly-extending ange practically coextensive with the side of thecase to provide for the accumulation of the electricity collected bytheinwar4d1yprojectinglip ct. Said flange forms one of the terminals C ofthe cell and is pierced with a plurality of holes C3,

which receive the screws O', whereby said terminal andthe cooperatingterminal D of the adjacent cell are secured together. The terminal D isprovided with a head D', practically coextensive with the terminal C, asshown in dotted'lines in'Fig. 2, whereby large currents may be handledwithout melting the terminals,` which are made very thin.

Since the walls of the cell are extremely thin they must be supported toprevent buckling. This support is preferably effected by 'wrapping eachcell with an insulating masssuch, for instance, as tarred felt or ber M-which preferably is applied so that it shall extend above the.top of theextension C4, as shown at 'm in Fig. 1. Preferably the insulation isapplied in a numberl of layers m', which `are arranged so that they foldunder the bottom of the case and provide a' reinforcement therefor. Astiff -plate Nof suitable insulating material, such as hard rubber, ispreferably interposed between the bottoln A' of the case and theinsulating material M to provide additional support for the bottom,which is also made extremely thin.

-It will be understood that wherever lead is referred to in thespecification it includes not only pure lead, but also lead alloyedwith.

more or less foreign substances or metals, such as antimony, and thatvarious changes in the construction herein set forth may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention, provided the means set forthin any one of the following claims be employed.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a battery, a case having its walls formedof thin conducting material, an electrolyte within the case, said casebeing provided with an extension projecting above the electrolyte, saidextension being thicker than the walls of the case and being providedwith a terminal having a broad contacting surface, andaninsulating-support for the walls of said case.

2. In a battery, a case having its walls formed of thin conductingmaterial, an electrolyte within the case, said case being extendedupward above the level of the electrolyte, a terminal for an electricconductor carried by said extended portion of the case, said case beingprovided with an internal lip or fiange arranged between the uppersurface of the electrolyte and the top of the case, substantially as setforth.

3. In a battery, a case having its Walls formed of thin conductingmaterial, an electrolyte within the case, said case being provided withan extension thicker than the walls of the case and having a terminalsubstantially coextensive with one of the walls of the case formedintegral therewith, and an insulating-support for the walls of saidcase, substantially as described.

4. In a battery, a case having its walls formed of thin conductingmaterial, an electrolyte within the case, said case being provided withan extension thicker than the walls of the case and having a terminalwith a broad contacting surface formed integral therewith, aninsulating-support for said case comprising an envelop of flexiblematerial, said envelop having its ends folded or bent under the bottomof the case, and a stiffeningplate interposed between the bottom of thecase and said folded portion of insulating material, substantially asset forth.

5. In a battery, a case having its walls formed of thin conductingmaterial, an electrolyte in said case, said walls being extended beyondthe top of the electrolyte and provided with an inwardly-projectingflange or lip arranged between the surface of the electrolyte and thetop of the case, and an insulating-support for said case comprising anenvelop of flexible material having its ends folded or bent under thebottom of the case, substantially as set forth.

6. In a battery, a case having its walls formed of thin conductingmaterial, an electrolyte within the case, the walls of said case beingextended beyond the surface of the electrolyte, one of said walls beingfurther extended to form a terminal for an electric conductor having abroad contacting surface, and an insulating-support for saidcasecomprising a plurality of layers of insulating material, substantiallyas described.

7. In a battery, a case for containing an electrolyte having its wallsformed of thin conducting material, the said walls being extended as atubular section C* beyond the surface of the electrolyte and the saidtubular section being relatively thick, and one of the sides of the saidtubular extension being continued to form a terminal O for an electricconductor, and the said tubular extension being provided upon its innersurfaces with a flange or projection a situated between the upper edgeof the tubular extension and the upper surface of the electrolyte,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witmesses.

ELMER A. SPERRY.

Witnesses:

W. S. ROGERS, M. C. PRENDERGAST.

